Hardwood Hills is hosting an Open House day as we wait in anticipation of the 2008 Olympic site announcement. Everyone is invited to join us on Friday, July 13, 2001 for a Free Day of riding at Hardwood Hills, a Fundraising Pancake Breakfast and a Fundraising BBQ lunch for the U of T Mountain Bike Team. The official cake cutting will take place at noon and there will be lots to watch as the kids in our Camp Hardwood day camp take part in the "Goofy Olympics" all day.

The official announcement will come from Moscow as early as 8 am, but if the ballots go to multiple votes, it may take until noon.

TodayÃ¢â‚¬Å¡s criterium was won once again by the American criterium champion, Laura VanGilder (Verizon Wireless), with Jeanson coming in third, after Joanne Kiesanowski (USA, Procter & Gamble). She earned a 3-second bonus, while Bessette came in fourth, after having spent 40 kilometers stuck tight to JeansonÃ¢â‚¬Å¡s back wheel. Despite several attempts, the Team RONA leader couldnÃ¢â‚¬Å¡t shake her rival.

Team RONAÃ¢â‚¬Å¡s Amy Jarvis placed seventh in the stage.

TodayÃ¢â‚¬Å¡s stage had no effect on the general standings, leaving an all-Canadian winnersÃ¢â‚¬Å¡ podium: Bessette, Jeanson and Susan Palmer Komar (Jane Cosmetics) took the top three places.

Geneviève Jeanson held on to the best climberÃ¢â‚¬Å¡s jersey.

Play-by-play

TodayÃ¢â‚¬Å¡s stage consisted of 28 laps of a 1.44-km circuit, for a total of 40.22 km. The temperature was near 30C, with high humidity and a wind that gained in strength as the race progressed.

The wind - and the battle of strategies that was waged between the RONAs and the Saturn Timexes - meant that the race went fairly slowly, with the winnerÃ¢â‚¬Å¡s speed figuring in at 36.6 kph. Jeanson and Bessette rode calmly in the front third of the pack, while their teammates were working in the frontlines, trying to ride the pack for their respective leaders. RONAÃ¢â‚¬Å¡s Jarvis, Jutras, Gonzalez and Nadeau also controlled the numerous (6) intermediary sprints, to protect JeansonÃ¢â‚¬Å¡s Queen of the Mountain jersey.

There was only one breakaway worthy of mention: Suzanne Sonye (USA, Saturn Timex) took seven laps in the fore, with a lead of more than 15Ã¢â‚¬Â° over the pack. She was joined by teammate Anke Erlank, RONAÃ¢â‚¬Å¡s Gabriela Gonzalez, and Andrea Hannos (Can, Verizon Wireless). But the pack swallowed them up again two laps from the end, when the speed increased in preparation for the final sprint. The game was up in the sprint, following a lap at over 50 kph.

Saturn

The final stage of the Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic saw Saturn finish by dominating the Pro Divisions, with Lyne Bessette and Eric Wohlberg both riding away with the wins for the overall. Both Wohlberg and Bessette pulled on their Orange Leader's Jerseys after winning the stage one time trial, but it was the teamwork of their Saturn Teammates that kept their jerseys secure throughout the four days of racing.

In what is an unprecedented three peat of the Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic, Bessette came into the final stage of the race with a keen sense of accomplishment. Having just put the finishing polish on a stunning win in Idaho at the HP Women's Challenge, Bessette and her Saturn Team continued to prove that their powerful teamwork can overcome even some of the toughest obstacles like Jeannie Longo and Genevieve Jeanson, who has an accumulated an impressive resume of her own this season.

The flat, three-corner criterium in downtown Fitchburg is a favorite of the locals. The Women's 25-mile race was fast from the gun with the Saturn Women's Team looking to protect Bessette's jersey. Although there were mighty efforts on behalf of the entire Saturn Team to win the stage including a 10-lap solo break from Suzanne Sonye, in the end the race came down to a field sprint. Laura Van Gilder claimed the win. Bessette kept her jersey and put a stop to the question if Genevieve Jeanson could be beat.

The outcome of the Men's race was once again shaped by weather. With rumblings in the distance the men began what should have been a 55-mile race. The first half saw the Saturn Team in complete control of the continual attacks from the Mercury squad as they tried to move second place Moninger into the Wohlberg's Leader's Jersey. Riding a controlled tempo at the front of the peloton, Wohlberg's Saturn Team gave a textbook demonstration on how to defend the Leader's Jersey. However, with 29 laps to go the lightening strikes and eventual downpour caused the officials to call the race. The men were given a one-lap warning and then sprinted for a stage win that would not count toward the overall standings.